How many different kinds of masculinity are represented in this film? What is the movie saying about men and masculinity in 1960s America?
How many different kinds of masculinity are represented in this film? What is the movie saying about men and masculinity in 1960s America?
Throughout this movie there are many different ways that masculinity was represented. Things such as the road trip itself, riding motorcycles, rock music, jail time or even something as small as peeing on the side of the road. These are all things that one would associate with males and being masculine. The one thing that intrigued me the most and that showed the strongest form of masculinity was the fact that it wasn’t until 30 minutes into the film that we actually heard a women’s voice. Compared to movies from the present this is something you almost never see. I thought that it really got the point across that the men were the main focus of this movie.
The film portrays men of the 1960’s in a way quite different from present day. The white man seemed to be the dominant force, whether it is over women, people of different races or even someone lower in the class system. As opposed to modern films where the dominance is distributed much more evenly. When I think of recent films the line between masculinity and femininity is almost invisible. There are equal powers and force assigned to both roles.